turning horses out together

[Como]

I think this is one of the biggest dilemma's in horse ownership!! The ideal is for horses to be out together, but you have to look at each individual case/herd. Some horses are too agressive and others are bullied and become very stressed out in the field. One of the most common reasons for horses to be put to sleep is from field injuries and having an agressive horse turned out with others is also dangerous from a handler's point of view. Ever tried to take a horse lower down the pecking order out of a field where there is a 17.2 bully! Scary. My horse used to see me and sneak to the gate so the other horses couldn't see him leaving!! If he didn't manage to get past them they would try and stop him leaving - his poor face. My friend lost her two front teeth to a field bully and I have been kicked. I would trust your judgement, if you have to turn out horses individually for safety reasons so be it. Don't feel too guilty (although I sympathise as I often do!)

 

[dressagespain]

LOL!!! Social life???? Whats one of them?

Nah only kidding, I surprisingly manage to have a hectic social life, work full time and act as personal slave to my 3 little premaddonas!!!

I am pretty knackered come sunday afternoon tho!!

But you know its well worthwhile!!

 

[evsj]

There is an owner at our yard who will not let her expensive hanoverian youngster be turned out with company - ever. She doesn't want him kicked because he cost so much.

As a result - IMHO - when he sauntered up to the back end of my mare the other night (owner was letting him lead her around the yard on a lunge rein) he didn't recognise the "get lost!" signal that my girl gave him, went right up to sniff her back-end and very nearly DID get kicked!

While I understand that no-one wants their horses to be kicked/injured while out in company I think it is really unfair for the horse (a herd animal) to be denied any company at all. Mine has been kicked twice in her field now but the problem was easily solved by moving her in with new companions.

 

[Dogbetty141]

IMHO i do think that all horses should go out with other horses! even if it is only with a shetie! Leaving a competition horse out on its own is stopping him from having friends and also the herd insticnt! There must be one friend that he can be put out with! I strongly disagree with this! I do understand that it is to stop him from injuring himself but wrong! He need friends!

 

[MagicMelon]

I always keep my horses together as I think its important. However I do make exeptions like one is kept in a next door paddock as he gets bullied pretty badly by the big boys. But I do make sure to turn him out with one of the calmer horses a few times a week to give some contact. And I dont tend to bother going through the hasstle of introducing a horse who I dont plan to have for very long!

My "herd" get along fine. Once I had one horse who was a serious bully, he was fine once he was established as leader but I introduced a new horse and he went nuts, within 10 mins he had chased him into the corner of the field and made the newbie flip over the fence...... ouch. But luckily these herd accidents are rare!